People gathered at the Chilmark Community Center Sunday morning to hear from Island agriculture and aquaculture leaders about the challenges and joys of farming. Farming is like life, said Jan Buhrman, vice president of Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard.

Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard and the Martha’s Vineyard Family Center are serving up a presentation on how to avoid genetically engineered foods on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the regional high school.

Rick Karney had a message for diners at a Slow Food event this week: Eat more oysters.

“Its’ an industry that cleans the water, creates a sustainable food product and creates habitat,” said the longtime director of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group. “In order for this industry to flourish, we have to put more in . . . as you eat your oysters tonight, they’re not only good but they’re doing a good thing for the environment.”

It was hard to tell which came first in the hearts of Islanders last Sunday — the chicken or the egg. The Coop de Ville Tour sponsored by Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard offered the opportunity for an egg-centric brunch followed by tours of chicken operations on several farms around the Island. All the chicken love had a purpose, too, according to the people at Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard.